01 October 2014

Q: In September 2013 you opened a Buddhist Centre—Aro Ling Cardiff—
in Whitchurch Village. What inspired you to begin such a venture?

Ngakma Nor’dzin: I was inspired by the success of a similar venture
in Bristol. The teachings of the Aro Tradition are so precious and
relevant to our everyday lives that I wanted to make them available to
the people of Cardiff as well.

Q: What were your hopes for the Centre when you began looking for a place?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: I wanted to offer a space for meditation that people would
find welcoming and inspiring. It also needed to be convenient for me
and easy to access.

Q: Why did you choose Whitchurch as the place for the new Centre?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: I have lived in Whitchurch for nearly 30 years. It is my
home and an area of Cardiff that I love. Whitchurch village is a
pleasant place to be and has a good feeling of local community. I felt
the centre could become a real asset to the community and the village.

Q: What have you had to change in your life to take on the running of a Centre?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: I had to reduce other commitments so that I had more time
available, and t​he main manifestation of this was with regard to our
horses. We owned two horses at the time and they took up a lot of my time. We ga​ve our gelding to​ the place where they are liveried, and put our old mare on
retirement livery. This meant that they could stay together and both be happy and cared for without needing​
my attention day by day.

Q: What does the Centre offer to the people of Whitchurch and Cardiff?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: The Centre offers teaching on Vajrayana Buddhism, Tibetan Yoga and Buddhist arts and crafts. We offer meditation instruction and group practice. There is also a small reference library.

Q: ​When are you open?

Ngakma Nor’dzin: Something is available every day except Sunday and Monday. There is something available during every part of the day: morning, afternoon and evening at some point in the week. Our
schedule can be found at aro-ling.org/cardiff, and at meetup.com/arolingcardiff.

Q: ​Do you offer courses?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: ​Yes, and we hope to increase these as Aro Ling Cardiff
moves into its second year. Our evening courses ​are usually on Thursday​ evenings for around five weeks, ​and​ explore particular Buddhist
teachings in some depth. We also run Saturday morning courses, including a regular introduction to meditation practice on the first Saturday of each month.​

Q: What tradition of Buddhism does the Centre teach?

Ngakma Nor’dzin: The Aro Tradition – which is a small branch of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Q: In what way does this tradition differ from other Buddhist traditions?

Ngakma Nor’dzin: It has an emphasis on Vajrayana practice,
embracing ordinary life as the path of Liberation. The ordained
practitioners in the Aro Tradition are not monks or nuns b​ut​
tantrikas, yogis and yoginis, who live an ordinary non-celibate
lifestyle whilst maintaining their commitment to practice and the
Vajrayana vows.​ This tradition embraces romance, marriage and family
life as a powerful means of gaining realisation.

Q: Would you say that this approach is particularly suited to Western people?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: Absolutely – that is why it is so valuable and so important
that people learn about this style of practice. The householder
tradition was well-known in Tibet, but it is the monastic style of
practice that has mostly been imported to the West. It is vital that
something other than renunciation and a monastic style of practice is
available to those who do not find this works for them but still feel an
affinity to Buddhism.

Q: How do you make the Centre and it’s activities known to the public?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: We advertise as much as we can afford! Leaflets are
delivered locally a couple of times a year and we advertise in The Local
Advertiser. I have a
notice board at the end of the drive that advertises our activities. We
use Facebook, Twitter and Meetup and other social networking. ​We
produce flyers and posters and simply try to let as many people know of
our existence as possible.

Q: Aro Ling Cardiff has been open for a year. Has the response to the Centre met with your expectations?

Ngakma
Nor’dzin: ​The response has been most encouraging.​ The first courses
were better attended than I expected and this has evolved into a regular
group for meditation on a Tuesday evening. The furtherance of awareness
of Vajrayana Buddhism and the Householder Lineage is the primary
purpose of the centre, and this is going well.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

Ngakma Nor’dzin: ​We
are hoping to offer more courses as these have been popular, and we
will continue with the Saturday opening. ​There will be Tibetan yoga
sessions and opportunities for craft work. We are hoping to get a
projector so that we can do visual presentations and show Buddhist
films. We will continue to invite guest teachers​ from time to time and
may have weekend teaching events and retreats as well. ​I hope that we
​will​ be able to​ expand what we are able to offer and giving a more
detailed view of the amazing scope of the Aro teachings and practice.